Unidentified oil washes up on South African beaches

On Jan. 22, reports started emerging of congealed oil washing up on South Africa’s southeast coast, stretching from George to Durban, some 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) away. Several beaches closed due to the pollution. Read more here.

Whale sharks released from nets along India’s coast as fishers turn rescuers

Since 2001, the nonprofit Wildlife Trust of India has been educating fishing communities about whale sharks, training fishers in safe disentanglement techniques and offering compensation for destroyed nets. Read more here.

Mexico considers shrinking protected areas for endangered vaquita porpoise

Officials in Mexico are considering shrinking a protected area in the Gulf of California, the stretch of water between Baja California and mainland Mexico where the vaquita (Phocoena sinus) is endemic. Read more here.

Mandatory rollout of electronic camera monitoring coming for trawlers in Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

The state government will spend $44 million to install the cameras and maintain fishing access to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Read more here.

Trump opens only US marine national monument in Atlantic to fishing — again

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on Feb. 6 to open the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, a marine protected area off the northeastern U.S., to commercial fishing. Read more here.